Friday night my studio building had a very well-attended open studio event as part of the monthly art walk. The crowd might be explained by the sunny weather that draws Mainers back out in the Spring. We also only have a couple of events like this a year, so some town aficionados know if I door is open that they'd better stop by this rare event. Maybe the sweet sound of live accordion music pulled them up the stairs. I posted some
photos of the evening over on the Facebook page. In any case, I am usually exhausted after but I was on the move bright and early to play host to another event sponsored by the Portland Museum of Art today.
The
symposium, "Art On-Site: Studio Practice in 21st-Century Art," began at 10. Joe Fig, author of the book Inside the Painter's Studio, opened the day with an entertaining talk about his work and his decade of interviewing some of the most established figures in contemporary painting practice. After lunch, I had a nice flow of attendees from 1-5pm who stopped by as part of a tour of four artist studio sites in downtown Portland. I had some great conversations and it always great to meet more people seeking to learn a bit more about art. Thanks to everyone who stopped by both days asking so many thoughtful questions.
